10 reviews for Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller 16 Zone | Simple Auto Schedules, Quick Run, Local Weather Intelligence. (Save Water w/ Rain, Freeze & Wind Skip)

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Del Aney – July 25, 2024

   UPDATE MAY19 2021:Still the best way to wet your plants 🙂 Rachio works the way my mind works. Visual, simple, yet complex under hood is there if you want to get into it deep. It has become my favorite automation tool for my home, and after years of cussing and swearing at my previous WiFi controller with a Bird in it’s name, I smile every day that Rachio “GETS IT”. Buy this now. You want WiFi controller for easy software and this is it. Not affiliated or endorsed or paid, just a fan of a fine product.Update 24SEP2020:I’ve been working with Rachio3 for an entire season and am MORE pleased than ever. Rachio delivers an entire watering system control for yards and lawns, instead of being just a switch box that turns water on at specific times. Intuitive, smart, works the way humans think, not the way engineers think (opposite of R___bird). If Steve Jobs were alive he would be impressed with this. Yes, the software is that good. The electronics themselves aI installed and have never looked at it again. My iPhone app does it all. IMHO– BUY THIS, at least try it first before you drop down to just timer/switches. Rachio was the BEST DECISION for my sanity and blood pressure, and my yard is green. I don’t work there, just a fan.What a breath of fresh air this Rachio SOFTWARE and controller is. AMAZING that I endured several years of suffering with Rainbird’s Wifi (ESP-ME) epic fail. This is night and day difference. Rachio box at first seemed light, and almost cheap compared to Rainbird’s heavy plastic, modular upgrades, and great name. But five minutes after installing Rachio I would NEVER EVER go back to Rainbird’s controller, no matter what they paid me.Rachio software is YEARS ahead in functionality. It drove me crazy to set up all the detail for my 16 zones (took a bout an hour) but when done… amazing. It works the way my head thinks, is simple, very visual, uncluttered and NICE. Love it.THIS product is a joy after enduring years of over complexity, zero product support, and frustration given Rainbird hiring the wrong person to write their software. It was difficult to toss my entire Rainbird controller and wifi module in the trash, but best decision ever.TRUST ME when I say this… We buy Wifi Controllers for the SOFTWARE. And Rachio software is what I really wanted to experience with any Wifi sprinkler controller. They get it, did it, and it works well. Bravo to them. The controller unit itself is light, clean, and just works. Nothing more to say. Easy install. Too easy which scared me. No screw lugs, modules or fancy options. It just is what it is.I cannot comment on whatever the Thrive stuff is or conditional watering, I just use the specific settings outright, and so far it has been a delight.Thank you Rachio engineering staff and management. My blood pressure is way down now. My lawn is green. I’m a happy boy.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Doug TestingDoug Testing – July 25, 2024

   I have a Hunter sprinkler system that we had installed about a decade ago. It works great, but the controller had outlived its usefulness. I decided to upgrade. I wanted a controller that I could access from my iPhone. I wanted a controller that would be easy to program and easy to use. I wanted a controller that would take the guesswork out of when to water and for how long. My research led me to purchase the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller … and I am completely satisfied with my purchase!My purchase decision came down to the Rachio 3 and the Hunter HydraWise. I probably deliberated longer than I needed to … but that was because I have a Hunter sprinkler system and I had a bit of anxiety about buying a controller not made by Hunter. I was ultimately swayed by Rachio’s app capabilities … and professional reviews. The Rachio 3 seems like a sprinkler controller reinvented. The Hunter HydraWise seems like an old fashioned sprinkler controller with an app. 21st century technology (Rachio 3) vs. 20th century (Hunter HydraWise). I am a futurist … 21st century for me.The Rachio 3 is an app-based controller … there are no programming buttons or knobs on the controller itself. The app is easy to navigate and simple to program. I opted to let the Rachio 3 determine when and how long to water. The app uses weather data from several resources to determine when to water my lawn. The app sets the duration using a creative method of alternating the watering time per zone to maximize water retention in the soil. I’m a gadget guy, so I had to give this a try … though I was skeptical about the “intelligence” of this system. Well, I am convinced the app has the right approach. My grass looks fantastic! The soil is never dried out … no brown patches … no soggy soil from over-watering. The plants in our garden look great, too.The app set my sprinklers to come on overnight. In the morning I wake to a notice that the watering cycle is complete. If I want to see how long the sprinklers were active I merely have to look in the app … all the data is there … and I can access historical watering data, too. I have received alerts that the Rachio app is postponing watering due to rain and due to high winds. If I want to turn on the sprinklers all I have to do is open the app and tap the zone I want to water then set the duration. Simple. The Rachio app takes any manual watering per zone into account for future watering cycles. This app is so cool!The Rachio 3 was simple to install. It took me less than 30 minutes to disconnect my Hunter sprinkler controller and then install the Rachio 3. I powered up and connected to wifi without issue. Setting up the app took another 10 minutes … over which about 5 minutes was me just exploring the app. So easy and simple. I consider myself technically adept at installs like but by no means an expert. That means I am confident I can do it … but still need to follow the directions step-by-step. If I could install this controller, so can you.There is no charge for the Rachio 3 app. All that functionality is paid for upfront when you buy the controller. Seems like an incredible value to me.I am extremely pleased with my Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller … and highly recommend this unit to anyone with an in-ground sprinkler system. An enthusiastic five stars!

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   LM – July 25, 2024

   Love this controller!Easy to setup, easy to program and love the auto weather adjustments. Can not go wrong with this amazing controller. Also love how it auto adjusts start time based on zone durations. Wowza. Buy it. Now.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   LT Beasimer – July 25, 2024

   Previously I had a dumb Rainbird sprinkler system . It worked just fine but our water bill has been steadily increasing. The Rachio 3 smart water system sprinkler controller, made in the USA, seemed like a great way to get better control of the water bill.The sprinkler system includes the controller, power supply, mounting hardware, and an installation guide. Since I was replacing an existing controller, the installation went quickly. I started by numbering the wires, taking a photo of how the old system was connected, removed the old system, and replaced it with the Rachio 3. There was one wire that didn’t work as I expected but I just tried an alternative approach found in the installation guide and that did the trick.Once the sprinkler system was installed, I installed and set up the app. This included mapping the zones, specifying the slope level if any, and identifying the type of planting area being watered. The sprinkler system waters differently for trees, shrubs, grass, etc. All this work sets up the amount of watering that is needed in each zone. There are advanced settings if you’re brave enough to get into them. If not, Rachio will help you understand these settings once you begin to see an issue. After 6 months, I have not needed to mess with the advanced settings, and we made it through a hot Texas summer with a green St Augustine lawn.For me, it’s not enough that this system is watering my lawn appropriately. The Rainbird system worked just as well, and I argued with my other half to get this system to save money. We went from watering three times a week in a short cycle to watering once a week for 5-6 hours. This was a shock, but the weekly watering times didn’t change much.What changed was how the Rachio checked the weather on the internet and would skip watering if rain was forecasted soon after the watering cycle and the rain would provide enough water for the yard. The Rainbird system could not do this as it had a rain cup and only skipped when rainwater was collected in the cup. Another benefit is that the Rachio adjusts the schedule every month based on the needs of the season. These features added up to lower monthly water bills. The Rachio system paid for itself in a little less than 3 months.I have a healthy yard, my water bill has decreased, the Rachio 3 system is easy to use, and I couldn’t be happier with this purchase. If you are looking to conserve water, reduce your water bill, and have a healthy yard, Rachio 3 is the way to go.► PROS:Simple to installThe smart system improves watering effectivenessSaves water and money2-year limited warranty► CONS:None I can find

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Travis – July 25, 2024

   It is very well-designed and works flawlessly with your existing system. There were no integration issues, and the instructions were easy to understand. I like the software UI on the app as well.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Rudian Zhang – July 25, 2024

   I was using a Toro Evolution controller, I had to buy two more parts for Wi-Fi connection and smart phone access which costed nearly 300 bucks. That was ridiculous. So my friends recommended Rachio 3 as well as Orbit Hyve. My wife likes Rachio 3 because it looks pretty. The installation is super easy, and the setup on my cell phone is also straightforward. I also had an Irritrol rain sensor which supposed to be compatible with Rachio 3, but I did not figure out how to set up it yet. The manual has no detailed description of how to install a rain sensor. Another problem is, there is a HomeKit setting in the menu, but I can not connect it to my HomeKit at all. I searched on internet, and found that Rachio 3 is no longer support HomeKit. In that case, maybe the developers of Rachio should remove that part of menu, or it is really confusion.

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Ron – July 25, 2024

   Looked at upgrading my current RainBird ESP-ME controller to WiFi capability. When I contacted RainBird, the LNK2wifi module would not work with ESP-ME before Nov 2016. So I looked at getting the ESP-ME3. Well, you can get it but then you still have to buy the LNK2wifi module – it doesn’t come with it!!!So I looked around and so glad I found Rachio 3!!! As advertised, I was connected in 15 minutes!!! Cavet, 2 of 3 mounting holes fit from the old system and I had already labeled my station wires from the last time I dinked around with the old controller. So just putting in third mounting hole and connecting the wires was a breeze.Downloaded the APP and it was pretty straightforward to set up the zones, take pictures of my zones, etc. With push of a button my zones were active. Seamless integration! All for MUCH LESS than what RainBird would have cost!!The only issue was connecting my Hydro Rain HRC-100 sensor. It actually was bad either but there was some conflicting discussion on the Rachio forum. The Rachio controller already has connections ready for the sensor like this. Still quite not working but that is due to the HRC-100 transmitter – batteries died.I like the fact the Rachio APP looks at local forecasts to monitor whether it is going to rain or not.The one dig is Rachio wants to charge an additional $30.00 for their valve sensoring diagnostics. Debating whether it’s worth it or not.In any case, the Rachio 3 definitely was what I was looking for to control my sprinkler system when not home. It is at a good price. Easy to install and get going. I do agree with another reviewer in that the controller LED should cycle back ‘n forth like the Ceylon bots from BattleStar Galactica. That would have been so cool.

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   dvm3 – July 25, 2024

   Hands down, the best sprinkler controller out there. I had previously installed the Rachio 3 at our old house and loved it.Had a new house built and landscaper installed a top-of-the-line Rainbird controller with wi-fi as landscapers typically like using old school controllers with physical dials and buttons to setup irrigation. I hated it as the wifi controls were extremely slow and never worked right. Customization was nowhere near as good as Rachio.After a year, I decided it wasn’t worth the trouble and swapped in the Rachio 3. Night and day difference. The Rainbird will go on ebay.

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   C. Amaral – July 25, 2024

   This is a very nice controller. I had an old Rain Bird controller. Every time I needed to run the sprinkler or stop it because of rain, I had to go to the garage and manually enable or disable it. The Rachio is so cool. It offers an app where you can control everything in the system. Not only I can give a unique name for each zone, but I can add a picture showing where it zone is located. As it is connected to the local weather via my home WiFi, it automatically cancels the watering when it knows rain is coming plus it sends an email informing this. Now, Rachio (as most of a product company would) tries to sell additional products to complement the controller. I am not using anything else, but I am very happy with the product.

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    F. Anderson – July 25, 2024

    When our old controller from another company died I was irritated. It is never fun to drop a couple hundred dollars on something as un-fun as a watering system controller. However, the death of the old controller forced my hand and rather than replace the old controller, I was drawn to the Rachio controller. The setup was intuitive, but the real strong point was the intelligent controlling of the watering that takes into account what you are watering as well as the current weather conditions. It will be very interesting to see the savings over the course of the summer, but as the rate it is going it will soon pay for itself.